Immigrant Rights

The U.S. Constitution guarantees basic rights and freedoms to all people in the United States, including people who are not U.S. citizens. Advocating fair treatment for non-citizens has been an important part of the national ACLU's work since its founding in 1920, when it opposed the summary arrest and deportation of Eastern European immigrants during the Palmer Raids. Since then, the ACLU and its affiliates have been some of the nation's leading advocates for the rights of immigrants, refugees and non-citizens.

In Minnesota, we have the well-documented contradiction of being open to immigrants and also having difficulty in treating them fairly once they are here. Threats to immigrants’ rights encompass not only criminal justice and policing, but also discrimination in housing, education, employment, healthcare, community and economic development, and other areas. We will continue to focus on addressing abuses in criminal justice and policing of immigrant communities. We will continue to challenge unconstitutional laws and practices, and to work every day to counter the myths upon which many of these laws are based. We have been active and successful in our efforts to eliminate ICE holds and to represent clients improperly held by immigration authorities.

ACLU-MN's Greater Minnesota Racial Justice Project in Mankato focuses on the legal rights of immigrants. Learn more about our office in Mankato here.